RipVanWinkle Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Philomena is a motion picture based upon a book about a 14 year old Irish girl (Philomena) who got pregnant and was abandoned by her father and placed in an orphanage run by nuns.The nuns sold the child to an American couple for 1,000 pounds. The movie begins 50 years after the child's birth and chronicles her looking back on her unwavering search for her son.I think it is an exceptionally good movie which I would highly recommend. The book depicts the twisted mindset of the nuns that ran the orphanage.When Philomena gave birth to the child she and the baby almost died because it was a a breech birth. She was torn up badly as a result of the delivery, but she was refused pain medication because "god intended for her to suffer for her sins". The nuns treated the pregnant girls and the young mothers punitively because of their sins.They were required to stay in the orphanage for 4 years providing free labor for various tasks. The story is much more involved than this brief description, but I'm sure you get the idea.But I want to focus on the nun who was mostly responsible for the mistreatment of the girls. She (from her depiction in the movie) was a vindictive woman who seemed to enjoy the torture she put the residents through continually reminding them that, "you have brought this upon yourselves and your child". They were not allowed to see their child except one hour a day and were required to nurse their babies until he/she was a year old.This place was a haven for sadists. One of the criticisms atheists and agnostics get from some Xtians is that we leave Xtianity or refuse god to lead a sinful life, full of reckless sex, drugs, alcohol, partying and other "immoral" behavior. They do this to discourage other Xtians from deconverting and are not interested in whether their charge is true.We know it's a bunch of lies.But that is the public image in which they wish us to be seen. They don't want us to be seen as we are but rather as haters of god. It occurs to me that "the nun" in the movie had a nasty disposition and enjoyed hurting people simply because that's the kind of person she was. Catholicism provided her the perfect cover for he vindictiveness. It allowed her to have the image of a chaste nun serving god while getting her perverted kicks out of abusing innocent children.Disgusting does not even come close to describing her behavior I don't believe I have thought much of this (at least not clearly) before. But certain forms of Xtianity are an enticement to perverted little minds to obtain a cover for their own sickness. An obvious example is the priest child molester. But it goes beyond that.It provides an opportunity for abuse of children and adults by Pat Robertson types who want to control people and mess with their minds. It's a nasty game.Diverting vulnerable folks into extreme forms of politics is another nasty game, with serious consequences. Con artists selling investments fraudulently is another.There must be numerous ways that I have not even thought of where a cover is provided by religion for unsavory characters. So the next time a Xtian tries to put a guilt trip on you, this aspect of religion providing a haven for perverts, sadists and thieves may provide a more interesting conversation. bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentLoner Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Pretty sure her name (and hence the movie/book title) was Philomena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Very good points, Bill. I will put that movie on my "must watch" list. I think you are right about Christianity (and other religions) providing a cover for various con artists, power mongers, child abusers, etc. I doubt the nun depicted in the movie was that way because of her religion. Rather, she was probably a cruel person who was able to satisfy her sadistic blood thirst by being a nun. It's all so sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted July 3, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted July 3, 2014 Phelomeno is a motion picture based upon a book about a 14 year old Irish girl (Phelomeno) who got pregnant and was abandoned by her father and placed in an orphanage run by nuns.The nuns sold the child to an American couple for 1,000 pounds. The movie begins 50 years after the child's birth and chronicles her looking back on her unwavering search for her son.I think it is an exceptionally good movie which I would highly recommend. The book depicts the twisted mindset of the nuns that ran the orphanage.When Phelomeno gave birth to the child she and the baby almost died because it was a breech birth. She was torn up badly as a result of the delivery, but she was refused pain medication because "god intended for her to suffer for her sins". The nuns treated the pregnant girls and the young mothers punitively because of their sins.They were required to stay in the orphanage for 4 years providing free labor for various tasks. The story is much more involved than this brief description, but I'm sure you get the idea.But I want to focus on the nun who was mostly responsible for the mistreatment of the girls. She (from her depiction in the movie) was a vindictive woman who seemed to enjoy the torture she put the residents through continually reminding them that, "you have brought this upon yourselves and your child". They were not allowed to see their child except one hour a day and were required to nurse their babies until he/she was a year old.This place was a haven for sadists. One of the criticisms atheists and agnostics get from some Xtians is that we leave Xtianity or refuse god to lead a sinful life, full of reckless sex, drugs, alcohol, partying and other "immoral" behavior. They do this to discourage other Xtians from deconverting and are not interested in whether their charge is true.We know it's a bunch of lies.But that is the public image in which they wish us to be seen. They don't want us to be seen as we are but rather as haters of god. It occurs to me that "the nun" in the movie had a nasty disposition and enjoyed hurting people simply because that's the kind of person she was. Catholicism provided her the perfect cover for he vindictiveness. It allowed her to have the image of a chaste nun serving god while getting her perverted kicks out of abusing innocent children.Disgusting does not even come close to describing her behavior I don't believe I have thought much of this (at least not clearly) before. But certain forms of Xtianity are an enticement to perverted little minds to obtain a cover for their own sickness. An obvious example is the priest child molester. But it goes beyond that.It provides an opportunity for abuse of children and adults by Pat Robertson types who want to control people and mess with their minds. It's a nasty game.Diverting vulnerable folks into extreme forms of politics is another nasty game, with serious consequences. Con artists selling investments fraudulently is another.There must be numerous ways that I have not even thought of where a cover is provided by religion for unsavory characters. So the next time a Xtian tries to put a guilt trip on you, this aspect of religion providing a haven for perverts, sadists and thieves may provide a more interesting conversation. bill Careful now, you're talking about my mother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted July 3, 2014 Moderator Share Posted July 3, 2014 I'll look forward to this movie also Bill. Religion can be the perfect 'cover up' to disguise the dark side of the personality. Humans (including myself) tend to need big egos to survive. People can't handle being inferior. Being 'religious' and 'acting good' all the time is one of the ways a human can feel better about his dark side. I did this for years. I've been studying the human personality (along with evolution) since I deconverted. I don't like some of the things I see. I've discovered a lot about human nature. We all have a bit of con artist in us. It's there for survival. Most won't admit to this because it would make us look bad and we can't allow our ego's to feel that way. People will go to great lengths to make themselves look good. We all have a touch of 'evil' in us. It's how aware we are of this human problem and what we will do to improve ourselves. The nun sounds like a social path to me with a little 'habit' hat on that allows her to look good to the world. Very interesting Bill. I love this stuff. Hug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I made the spelling correction. Thanks, SilentLoner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryG Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Thanks, Bill. I've seen Philomena. It's a very good (not great, but very good) movie with terrific performances by Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. The story contains some amazing developments, which are true to the real-life events. While I can't mention the biggest of those because it's an enormous spoiler, it makes it clear that the cruelty of those nuns extended from Philomena's long-ago past into her modern-day quest to find her lost son. The book the movie was made from is sitting on my bedside table now, waiting to be read. Another (even better) movie about that horrible Irish system that's very much worth seeing is 2002's The Magdalene Sisters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 The Magdalene Sisters. I'll see if I can get it at the library. Thanks, MerryG. Religion and religion-like organizations (like the Nazis) can do really unbelievable things to peoples' minds.The victims can't see and understand what a 4 year old child can see. If mankind is "sinful" it is its lack of immunity to brainwashing that makes it so. I am in the process of reading Philomena I can already see that it fills a lot of interesting details not in the movie. bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 SllentLoser: I had to correct the spelling of Philomena twice! That's what age does to you. bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadedAtheist Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I wanted to punch that cunty nun in the face by the end of the film. It made me so angry that the lady didn't react but just let it go. Grr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentLoner Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 SllentLoser: I had to correct the spelling of Philomena twice! That's what age does to you. bill Thanks, willtard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 "I wanted to punch that cunty nun in the face by the end of the film. It made me so angry that the lady didn't react but just let it go. Grr." Jadedatheist Right!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Hey, I have a trump card which excuses me from all retard mistakes: I'm over 70. bill 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 "I've discovered a lot about human nature. We all have a bit of con artist in us. It's there for survival. Most won't admit to this because it would make us look bad and we can't allow our ego's to feel that way. People will go to great lengths to make themselves look good. We all have a touch of 'evil' in us. It's how aware we are of this human problem and what we will do to improve ourselves." Margee That is one of the ugly realities about myself that I learn more and more as I age. I'm not the boy scout I used to think I was. I think it is this shortcoming of us humans that the creators of Xtianity called sin. But it's only the "survival of the fittest" instinct left over from primitive times. Thanks Margee. bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts